Sky Tree – Japan’s Tallest Structure

Tokyo Sky Tree, set to be completed in 2011, has already claimed the title as Japan’s tallest building. This is no small architectural feat. From a layman’s point of view, one of the first things that comes to mind is the dangers of erecting such a tall structure in an location prone to so much seismic activity.

Certainly every structure must prepare for and guard against possible earthquakes, but Tokyo Sky Tree is one of the few mega-structures that is guaranteed to see them regularly.

Measuring in at 634 meters high, Tokyo Sky Tree is (like most structures that surpass the 600 meter mark) a broadcasting tower. It will have a restaurant and observation deck as well, but functionally it’s a broadcasting structure.

It will be a welcome addition to the Tokyo landscape, which some assert doesn’t really have an abundance of remarkable or iconic landmarks. You can bet that moving forward, Tokyo Sky Tree will become every bit as much a symbol of Tokyo as the Orient Pearl Tower is the icon of Shanghai.

Even though Tokyo Sky Tree is still not finished, both tourists and locals alike are flocking to Oshiage for a look. The structure will officially open to the public in the year 2012.

Ranked against other world structures, Tokyo Sky Tree comes just behind the Burj Khalifa, which measures an astounding 828 meters tall.

One wonders how much further the limits of human architecture can be pushed, because it seems that in recent years the title of the world’s tallest structure only lasts a few years before someone declares intentions to build something even bigger.

Wikipedia has an interesting photo gallery available for those who would like a glimpse of the ongoing construction process. For something a bit prettier, here’s a wonderful picture taken of the Sky Tree from Flickr user Doala: